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As surgical robots become a more popular option in hospitals across the country, a new study suggests that keeping them hygienic may be an issue. Researchers attribute the difficulty in thoroughly disinfecting surgical robots to the complexity of the design and structure of robotic surgical instruments.
The study, which was recently published in Infection Control Hospital Epidemiology, evaluated 132 surgical robots as well as other surgical instruments throughout a 21-month observation period. They found that even when the manufacturers’ recommended cleaning procedures were strictly adhered to they were only effective 97.6 percent of the time for surgical robots. Other surgical instruments experienced a 99.1 percent effectiveness rate.
In particular, researchers found that residual protein left on robotic instruments was much higher than on other surgical instruments.
"Our data demonstrated that complete removal of residual protein from surgical instruments is virtually impossible," wrote Yuhei Saito, one of the study’s lead authors. “The pattern of decline differed depending on the instrument type, which reflected the complex structure of the instruments. It might be necessary to establish a new standard for cleaning using a novel classification according to the structural complexity of instruments, especially for those for robotic surgery.”
To learn more, read the entire study.